In the end, to her good fortune, the evening had ended earlier than she had imagined. Midway through the dancing, while her aunt was holding court with her never-ending circle of friends, Lee had given in to her secret wish to retire, pled the headache, and slipped upstairs to her bedchamber.

This morning, amazingly alert and energetic, she climbed out of bed before dawn looking forward to the outing she had promised herself. Eager to reach the stable, she finished her brief toilette, ignored the expensive forest green velvet riding habit that had just arrived from London, and chose instead the form-fitting breeches and full-sleeved shirt she'd had custom-made for her several years ago at L.T. Piver's in London.

Lee had to admit there were advantages to the world in which she lived. One of them was that social dictates did not apply. By the nature of their business, the Durant women were exempt. Walking past the rosewood armoire that contained the cumbersome habit, her long red hair plaited into a single thick braid, Lee reached into a drawer of her rosewood dresser and grabbed a woolen cap in concession to the morning chill, pulled on her kidskin riding boots, and set off for the servants' stairs at the rear of the house.

The mid-May weather was crisp and clear, the sky a purple-tinged haze just beginning to brighten. She preferred to leave before the servants were up and beginning their chores, while the stable was still quiet, giving her a sense of freedom she found only out here with her beautiful horses.

She loved them all but especially Noir Diamant, Black Diamond, her prize Thoroughbred stallion, and Grand Coeur, Great Heart, the tall gray jumper she usually rode. She paused in front of Noir's stall to rub his velvety nose, but the stallion would be racing later in the week, so she chose Grand Coeur instead.

Coeur was an amazing horse that could run like the wind and jump the way she had imagined last night. Her gaze skipped to her comfortable sidesaddle with its padded tapestry seat, but Lee ignored it, just bridled Coeur and led him from his stall. She had worn the shirt and breeches so that she could ride bareback, completely unfettered and free.

Lee smoothed the stallion's dapple-gray coat, spoke to him gently, and led him out of the barn into the pale golden glow of early morning. Coeur nudged her with his beautiful head, danced and sidestepped, as eager for the morning's exercise as she.

Looping the reins over the horse's neck, she climbed up on the mounting block and settled herself on the stallion's back. The gray looked back at her and flicked his ears. Beneath her, his long, sleek muscles bunched in anticipation.

"You want this as much as I do, don't you, boy?"

As if in answer, the stallion nickered softly. Lee nudged her bootheels into the horse's ribs, urging him into a trot that carried them away from the barn and out into the open fields. Pulling on her woolen cap to keep her ears warm, she bent over the stallion's neck, urging him to pick up his pace. The horse responded to her subtle commands as if he could read her thoughts and her troubles began to fade.

She felt the rush of wind past her cheeks, felt a stray curl flutter at the base of her neck, and began to smile.


Pouring water into the porcelain basin in his room at the far end of the stable, Caleb splashed water on his face to chase away the cobwebs of sleep and dressed to begin the day. The night had been a long one, spent in the damp shadows outside the mansion, watching for anything that might be amiss inside, watching Vermillion charm her endless admirers with the cool smiles and throaty laughter that seemed to ripple through his insides.

She had gone to bed earlier than he expected. Caleb had scraped his knuckles and ripped his breeches, climbing the trellis behind the house to reach the balcony outside her bedchamber only to discover that she slept alone. It bothered him how much he wanted to slip into the room and join her in her satin-draped bed.

He was thinking about her as he walked from stall to stall to check on the horses, stopping stock-still when he noticed the door to Grand Coeur's stall stood open and the stallion was nowhere in sight. Caleb quickly scanned the interior of the barn. Noir stood lazily in his stall, one of half-dozen other horses who stuck their heads over the open stall doors to see who had entered.

One of the stalls was empty except for a fat yellow cat contentedly sleeping in the straw, her stomach stretched to near bursting with the kittens that appeared long overdue. Everything was the same as it had been last night—except that the expensive gray was missing.

Bloody hell! Caleb clenched his jaw as he turned toward the door. He could just imagine what his petite employer would say if she discovered he had lost one of her most valuable horses. He didn't much like the idea himself.

Striding out of the barn, Caleb made his way outside to survey the rolling fields in the ridiculous hope he would spot the animal placidly grazing in the pasture. He was amazed to see the gray disappearing over a rise, a rider clinging to his back, the horse in a flat-out run.

Caleb cursed again, more foully this time, and raced back into the barn. Grabbing a bridle off the rack, he hurriedly dragged it over the head of a big bay gelding that was one of the stable's fastest runners and swung up on the animal's back. In seconds, he rode in pursuit of the thief who was making off with Coeur. Somewhere behind him, he heard old Arlie shuffle out of the barn. He was shouting something, but the sound disappeared in the rush of wind and the thunder of the big bay's hooves.

Caleb urged the horse faster, settling into the chase, beginning to enjoy himself, now that he was sure of the outcome. With the horse's long, ground-eating strides, it didn't take long before he spotted the thief in the distance, the figure atop the horse smaller than he had imagined, a village lad, perhaps. One who was about to wish he had never tangled with Caleb Tanner.

Unaware he was being pursued, the youth reined the horse off to the right, riding straight for a low rock wall. Up and over he went, clearing the barrier with ease. Caleb's temper heated as the lad turned the animal to the left and sailed over a wide, meandering stream, then leaped up the bank on the opposite side, startling a hedgehog out of its burrow.

The horse could jump. Caleb had never seen such power in motion, such fluid grace. And he wasn't about to lose such a magnificent beast to the likes of some village miscreant. His jaw tightened, his anger building by the moment. Caleb gained a little more ground but the lad still didn't spot him. Or if he did, he was cocky enough to believe he could get away.

Horse and rider pounded on, Caleb in determined pursuit. The pair would soon reach the end of the field where a high rock wall separated the lower pasture from the one above. Caleb swore and urged the bay faster as he realized the lad's intent. The obstacle would pose a difficult hazard for even the most skillful rider. The horse could be injured—both of them could be killed. The boy seemed not to care.

Caleb's hands tightened on the reins as horse and rider approached the wall, and for an instant the breath froze in his lungs. If the boy brought harm to the horse, Caleb vowed, he would personally thrash the little thief within an inch of his reckless life!

To his relief and amazement, the pair sailed over the wall with absolute precision and made an impeccable landing on the opposite side.

That's it, boyo, your luck has just run out. Caleb's fury was so great he could feel it burning into the back of his neck. Reining away from the wall, he urged the bay along a path that led him through a copse of trees, a line that would cut off the youth's anticipated route of escape.

Watching through the trees as the lad took several more hazards, Caleb began to think perhaps the young man hadn't meant to steal the horse, but had merely taken him out for the pleasure of a wild morning ride. Either way, there was going to be hell to pay and the boy was about to pay it.


Lee glanced behind her, her body shaking with laughter. Tanner was gone. She had lost him. She couldn't remember having this much fun in years. It had taken less than an instant to recognize the tall figure with the wide shoulders mounted on the bay, riding like fury behind her. From the start, she had led him a merry chase. Another rider would have been hard-pressed to follow, but Tanner had stayed right on her tail. She had to give him credit. The man was a magnificent horseman.

Still, in the end, she had lost him, as she had intended from the moment she had spotted him behind her.

Lee reined in the gray, slowing the animal to a canter, letting him blow a little before she found a nice shady place for them to rest. Coeur had worked beautifully this morning, an exhilarating outing for both of them.

She grinned. More so with Caleb Tanner in relentless pursuit.

Whatever his reason for following her, it could wait until she returned to the stable. From morning to night, she was at someone else's beck and call. She had claimed this morning for herself and she would tolerate no interference.

At least those were her thoughts before a rider burst out of the woods and raced his horse up next to Coeur. She recognized Caleb Tanner's furious face the instant before his arm snaked out and he jerked her off her horse. With a shriek of outrage, her cap flying into the air, Lee landed facedown across Caleb Tanner's hard thighs, the air whooshing out of her lungs.

The last thing she expected was the impact of his big hand slamming down on her bottom, burning like fire through her breeches.